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With great disappointment, Minerva also recognized her opposite, Mercury, with his winged sandals and hat, walking along with stout, red-nosed Bacchus and muscular, curly-haired Hercules.

They had been called to serve the king of the gods, and they hadn’t been brave enough, or principled enough, to refuse. Her father had as many supporters as he had enemies. A war could go either way.

‘My arrogant, ungrateful daughter is intent on waging war against me too,’ said Jupiter, as the temple collapsed around him. ‘She fled our battle like a coward, before I could win… before I could finish her off.’

Pluto and Mercury side-eyed each other, remembering that Jupiter had distinctly failed to win that particular match.

‘She thinks she can turn goddesses against gods, women against men.’

The other gods grumbled their agreement.

‘She thinks Rome should be ruled by a mere girl. She thinks millennia of tradition and order should be cast aside at her whim.’

‘What if we call Minerva and the goddesses to a peace summit, my god?’ suggested Mercury. ‘You can agree terms without more conflict.’

‘There can be no peace. Not now. Not after all they have done to meddle with destiny.’

Jupiter turned on his messenger, looming over him.

‘Tell me, Mercury, why haven’t you located her yet? You’re the traveller of realms, are you not? You’re not protecting them, are you?’

‘I… I can only rely on word of mouth, and there have been no sightings of her yet,’ said Mercury timidly. ‘Venus and Diana have been summoned to appear before you, but they have so far ignored the request. It isn’t difficult to imagine why, when Vulcan and Neptune were sacrificed for their opposition.’

Minerva knew her consort well, better than most men. Mercury was the inhabitant of two worlds and, as the messenger god, he generally took a neutral position on conflicts in the pantheon. He did not truly support Jupiter’s aims, she was sure, but he was attempting to keep peace and contain the threat.

‘And Fortuna?’ said Jupiter.

‘She cannot be found.’

‘Useless! What good are you?’

‘By severing her vision, you have also made her invisible in the sight of gods,’ explained Mercury.

‘You dare to question my judgement?’

‘I-I did not say that,’ retracted Mercury. ‘I’m merely explaining why she is so difficult to locate.’

‘In better news, Salacia has been dealt with,’ said Pluto, in monotone. ‘She and her beast have been imprisoned, along with Victoria, as you asked.’

Jupiter was hunting them down one by one.

‘They should not have their own stars, nor their own temples. They will toil eternally in the underworld, so they must live with the weight of their mistakes. Others will soon follow,’ said Jupiter. ‘Their intervention broke divine law. It cannot be allowed. Only I, as king, should have that power.’

‘What now, my god?’ asked Mercury.

‘We need a new emperor,’ said Jupiter, walking on again as the others followed behind. ‘One who can reclaim the throne from the girl.’

‘Who do you suggest, your divinity?’

‘I have many mortals to run my errands for me. One in particular is my most loyal servant. When the time is right, he will rise to power.’

A weighty hush descended.

Of whom did her father speak? Minerva didn’t know, and she knew many things. She vowed to find out, as soon as possible.

‘Until then, all of you must present your mortals to me, for my use. All will become messengers of Jupiter. I will need every man and every god at my side, if we are to regain total control of the pantheon and restore the course of history.’

Jupiter turned to address the gathered crowd.